


The Broken Camera

by Miratete



Category: The Transformers (Cartoon Generation One), Transformers - All Media Types, Transformers Generation One
Genre: Awkward Dates, Bad Decisions, Drunken Flirting, Drunkenness, First Dates, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-25
Updated: 2019-03-09
Packaged: 2019-11-05 09:07:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,640
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17915927
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Miratete/pseuds/Miratete
Summary: -o-o-o-o-o-Red Alert agrees to a date with the notorious Sideswipe. It's not off to a good start when the Lothario shows up overcharged.  And it doesn't get any better when Red's nerves show up as well.-o-o-o-o-o-





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This story takes place just before the G1 episode "Auto Berserk."

-o-o-o-o-o-

Sideswipe stared...unashamedly.

He of knew of course of Red Alert, the somewhat paranoid and rather reclusive head of security. And he'd heard that the officer had been given same vehicular format as himself. But having only caught glimpses of the red and white mech he was unprepared to discover that said mech, perhaps the greatest threat to his occasionally profligate lifestyle, was so handsome. Not just handsome actually, but smoking hot.

“Ah, is that the broken security camera?” asked Red Alert as Sideswipe approached his station in the bunker.

“It is,” he replied, handing over the tray with the malfunctioning camera in it.

“Excellent I'll have it fixed in a jiffy.” He set the tray onto the wide lip of of the console in front of him and began to examine it. His optics moved back and forth between the security monitor and the camera.

Sideswipe's optics moved back and forth between Red Alert's slender waist and thighs and the all too touchable sensor horns on his helm. The mech kept himself in top shape, being beautifully shined and polished. Even the pads and palms of his hands, usually scratched and worn on most bots, were pristine. In fact overall there was something of a pristine nature to him... something untouched and unsullied. Perhaps it was only the result of the mech being pretty much chained to the monitors and security banks, but Sideswipe liked it.

The predicted jiffy turned out to be a full cycle, and though Red Alert had told him that he could return to his post at the chamber where Wheeljack was assembling his Negavator, Sideswipe chose to stay. “I'll help watch the monitors while you work,” he'd responded amiably.

Red Alert brightened. “Why thank you,” he said with a gracious smile.

“Anytime,” Sideswipe smiled back, knowing that it was only an excuse to continue allowing his optics to caress the security officer's aesthetics. And beyond his appearance there was something of a gentleness to him, perhaps a timidness even. The fact that he generally kept himself hidden away from the others made him all the more intriguing. And all the more desirable.

And when the repairs to the camera were complete, Red Alert thanked Sideswipe again for bringing it in and helping to keep an eye on things.

“No, thank you. You do such a great job here,” Sideswipe said with a buttery-smooth voice. He'd made up his mind on what needed to be done regarding his latest and most sudden crush. A plot had spun into existence in the back of his processors and was now being moved to the forefront of his thought. “Why don't we drive back to the Ark together when our shifts are over?”

“But don't you and Trailbreaker have to escort Wheeljack back?”

“Of course. But by we, I meant you joining us. You normally hang out here an extra cycle while Blaster gets settled in. I mean, we appreciate your diligence and devotion, but I'm sure he'll be fine if you leave at the shift-change. We've been in this bunker a deca-cycle now. He knows the systems.”

“You're right. I suppose I could... just this once.”

“You could use a little company now and then—a break from staring at these screens all day.” He gestured to the monitor where scene after scene of empty desert, lonely roads, dry skies, and a sleepy military installation marched in a loop.

“You're right. It would be nice to spend a little time with the other Autobots assigned to this project.” He looked up with a bold smile. “I do suppose I could.”

-o-o-o-o-o-

Sideswipe continued to visit Red Alert at his station in the bunker over the next few days—bringing him an occasional energon goodie or a sample draught of high-grade. A master of timing, he always stayed long enough to seem sincere but not long enough to arouse the security director's paranoia by their being distracted. Guarding the madcap engineer's latest creation was a very serious assignment.

Red Alert seemed to enjoy the attention, and when he reached out to touch Sideswipe on the arm as he thanked him for the latest proffering, Sideswipe knew that the time was right to make his next move.

-o-o-o-o-o-


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ever been on a bad date that just keeps getting worse? Sideswipe's drunk and horny. Red Alert's fighting personal issues and his past. Is there a chance this is going to end well? Of course not.

-o-o-o-o-o-

“Could I join you? If you manage to get him into your berth?” grinned Sunstreaker.

Sideswipe was currently atop said berth trying again to remove some of the lingering marks from the last time the seekers had shot him full of holes and a few of the minor leaks had been missed by the medical team. “Nope. I think he's just a bit to shy to be up to both of us at once. And I will get him back here.” He straightened up. “I have no idea what he's like in the berth. No one seems to have bedded him. At least no one's admitted to it.”

Sunstreaker took a swig out of the cube of high grade in his hand. “So then either he's a prude, or so lousy in bed that no one will admit to having 'faced him.”

Sideswipe laughed. “That's what I was thinking.”

“Did you ask Jazz about him?” Sunstreaker asked, handing over the ominously bright purple cube of energon. “Here. Try this. Latest batch.”

Sideswipe took the cube and chuckled. “Jazz was the first one I asked.” As head of Spec-Ops, Jazz could not only provide the latest intel on the Decepticons, he could also give you the same on any Autobot on the planet. The black and white mech seemed to have an ear everywhere and a direct connection to the gossip mill. Sideswipe took a sip of the high-grade, rolling it around his mouth and stomach before allowing some to trickle into his fuel tank. “Strong. Nicely tart.” He took a larger sip before setting the cube down and going back to his scrubbing, working at another neglected transfluid blotch with the mild acid cleanser. “As for Red Alert, I'm going for the first of those two options. Have you seen his armor? I don't think he's been into battle even once. He looks like a museum piece.”

Sunstreaker chuckled. “So all the more reason to lure him back here and put a few dents into his plating?”

“You know my tastes,” Sideswipe grinned wickedly, drinking again. “You can keep Ironhide and Ratchet. I prefer something a little fresher.”

“Pervert,” Sunstreaker chuckled.

Sideswipe hopped off of the berth, put away the cleaner, took an honest drink of the lurid purple energon, and began arranging the pillows, followed by a folding of the rarely-folded canvas sheet at the foot of it. And then he fidgeted with the lamp controls, deciding what luminosity would be best for the forthcoming encounter with the red and white mech. Pleased with the setting, he cued up a favorite file of music to interface by in the sound system.

“Well could I at least join you two in the rec room for energon? I mean, I do have my brother's best interests in mind and given how close we are, he needs to know you're not exactly a stand alone item.”

“Sure. And then you'll see how gorgeous he is. Everyone seems to miss that because they're worried that he's spying on them.”

Sunstreaker laughed. “Tell me about it. But I would like to meet him a bit more personally. Looking forward to it, even.”

“Me too,” said Sideswipe. It was unspoken, but they both knew that Sunstreaker was a fantastic wingman. His good looks were quite the lure but his apparent disinterest would send mechs right into his brother's arms in spite or desperation or future hopes. The red mech took the cube of high-grade once again and drank deeply. “You know, that tartness really grows on you. I like it. Kinda hides the strength though.”

-o-o-o-o-o-

The three Lamborghinis sat around a table in the rec room, the presence of the reclusive Red Alert duly noticed by the rest of the room's occupants. He sat stiffly, sipping his cube of energon. Sideswipe had already downed his and half of a second one. Not that he needed to fill his tanks. He'd been overcharged when Red Alert came to collect him, though the officer had been too polite and uncertain to suggest a postponement. Three times on the walk to the rec-room Sideswipe had stumbled and would have fallen had his brother not been there to assist.

And now he was sitting next to Red Alert, chin in hand, staring yet again at his date. “You know, Red, you're so handsome.”

Red Alert jerked, a bit of his energon splashing onto his faceplate. Hurriedly he got out a towel and blotted his cheek.

“Beautiful even.”

Red Alert made something of choking noise.

Sunstreaker, slightly more sober, smirked at his brother's drunken flattery and the other mech's reaction. “Definitely.”

Red Alert kept blotting with the towel nervously—nervous at being the center of attention. He was certainly unused to compliments. No one in Optimus' crew had ever told him such a thing, let alone taken any personal notice.

“Finish your cube and we'll go for a drive. Orrrrr...” Sideswipe leaned in closely. “We could just go back to my quarters. Lock the doors. Put on some music. I've got a huge collection of holo-vids to watch. Some racy ones too. I'm sure my brother wouldn't mind staying away tonight.” The leer in his voice was unmistakable.

“Of course not,” Sunstreaker smirked. “It's all yours if you want it.” This was all part of the game the brothers played with potential lovers.

Red Alert leaned away. “Perhaps I should go.” He began to rise but Sideswipe's hand shot out to still him. “But I promised you a moonlight drive. Remember? First we refuel and then I show you that vista point atop the mesa. You can watch the whole Ark without a single camera or monitor.”

“You're... you're too overcharged to go anywhere. What if there are Decepticons out there?” Red Alert protested.

Sideswipe laughed dismissively. “I'm fine. I'm hardly overcharged. Primus! Do you know how sexy it is when your sensor horns light up like that?”

“Ah... no.” He'd not even realized that they'd started to glow. Accursed glitch.

“He's fine for a drive,” corroborated Sunstreaker.

“See? Even my brother said I'm fine. And why would there be 'Cons out there so close to the Ark tonight? They're still patching themselves up after the last battle. So c'mon. Let's go stare at the moon.” He rose, threw back the last of the energon in his cube, and then pulled Red Alert from the table.

“Have fun you two,” grinned Sunstreaker as his twin led the flustered security director away.

-o-o-o-o-o-

Red Alert was correct in his assessment of Sideswipe's condition. Crossing the threshhold the red mech tried to transform but instead was flung out of balance by the shifting of his weight and he stumbled and tumbled into one of the ditches at the edge of the causeway leading into the Ark. And then he just lay there laughing as Red Alert tried to pull him out.

And instead of being helped, he managed to pull Red Alert down beside him, the depression thankfully free of water at the present time. There had not been any recent rainstorms to fill it. Red Alert groaned as he tried to get his bearings after the fall, and hoped to Primus that none one else was coming in or out of the Ark at that point. It wouldn't do for anyone to see the head of security struggling there in the weeds, especially now that Sideswipe had fallen on top of him.

No, he hadn't fallen on top of him. Sideswipe had climbed on top of him and was now venting heavily against his frame. “Red...” he purred. “I didn't know you were so eager. I thought you at least wanted to go for a drive first.”

Red Alert huffed disgustedly, but he tried to maintain his composure. “Sideswipe, please get off of me.” He should have declined the invitation for a date. He should have canceled when on collecting him at his quarters he found the frontliner already overcharged. He should have expected him to be all to eager for an interface. He should have said no with more firmness when Sideswipe insisted on going outside. He should have simply known better.

“All right. Can't take you out on that drive like this, can I. You know I want to give you everything you want.

“The drive was your idea,” Red Alert replied curtly.

“Who cares whose idea it was?” Sideswipe's hands groped at the wheels atop Red Alert's shoulders, suddenly discovering their hubs were unlocked and spinning them playfully. “And here I thought you were shy.” From the wheels his hands moved inward to the gap between his chestplate and protoform, his fingers searching for sensor nodes.

“No. It's not that... I was trying to...” He suddenly shuddered as the black fingers located a sensitive spot—sensitive enough to garner a reaction. Of course Sideswipe would know where the nodes were. Teletraan had given them the same frame type. “Sideswipe, I think that...”

He was cut off as Sideswipe's hand shot to the underside of Red Alert's chin and pressed against his vocalizer, muting him. “Shhh... I understand. You were too shy to tell me that you were attracted to me. That you loved me even. So you just seized the opportunity.” He moved into a more advantageous position atop the other Lamborghini. “Well I love you too. And I feel like I've always loved you, even though we really only met an orn ago.

Red Alert tried to move Sideswipe's hand from his throat but the warrior prevented it. And he was still terrified that someone would come past and see him in the ditch, pinned in a compromising position beneath Sideswipe. He did debate comm'ing Prowl for a rescue. Someone would be sent to pull the amorous mech off of him and then he'd be free. But then he'd get nothing but “What were you thinking?” and “You know how the twins are when they're overcharged.” Worse yet he'd get teased for being an officer yet not being able to deal with his own situations.

“Red... We should be spark mates,” Sideswipe sighed passionately. “Please. I want to bond with you.” He let go of Red Alert's vocalizer to free up his hands to pin the other mech's shoulders to the ground. And then he leaned in to kiss him.

“Bond with me? What?” Red Alert kept turning his head away to dodge the persistent lips. “Sideswipe. Get off of me. You're overcharged and you're not listening!”

“I'm only a little overcharged.”

Red Alert groaned. “Sideswipe. Please let me up,” he pleaded.

“Not until you tell me that you'll bond with me. I mean, look at us. We were meant to be together. All these vorns we've been Autobots and we've not once even noticed each other.” His hand seized Red Alert's chin and held his head still, allowing him to bring their lips together. But Red Alert did not kiss back. Instead his mouth was taut and unyielding. “Why won't you kiss me? Wait... don't tell me there's someone else.”

Someone else?

Deep inside, the memories suddenly jogged.

Silverline...

“No... no one else. Not now.” Red Alert's spark pulsed.

Beautiful, daring, impulsive Silverline...

He was everything Red Alert wasn't, and so much more, and a lot like Sideswipe actually.

Sideswipe caught the flicker in the officer's optics. “You're thinking about someone in your past? Someone you loved and lost?”

“There was someone, long ago. But it doesn't matter now. Please let me up.”

“So that's it. There's someone in your past holding you back from me.”

Red Alert couldn't stop the old memories of his last relationship from creeping to the forefront of his mind. It had been nearly eight octads since that wild, impetuous fling with the courier mech. Eight octads... sixty-four thousand vorns... five point three million years. Had it really been that long since he'd interfaced with anyone?

That couldn't be healthy. 

“Red, I can take care of this for you,” Sideswipe purred, his fingers starting to stroke him tenderly, taking a different approach. “Help you remember. Maybe help you forget.”

Eight octads. That was far too long to be lonely.

Silverline...

Beautiful memories he'd not dared to access in all this time suddenly began playing shyly through his processor. Nights spent atop highrise towers, flown up there by his lover, interfacing beneath the weak light of Cybertron's moons.

Maybe he should let the frontliner have his way if just to see if his 'facing equipment was still working after all this time.

Sideswipe staggered up and pulled Red Alert to his feet. “I'm an excellent cure for old lovers,” he drawled.

Perhaps it wouldn't be so bad to just give in to the red mech's libido. 

Red Alert tried to calm himself. Sideswipe surely wouldn't be all that bad. He didn't have a reputation for being able to get any mech into his hands for nothing. Quite the opposite. Some considered the invitation a great honor in fact, given the reported skill of the twins when it came to the passionate arts. And he already knew his frame. “We'll skip the drive. We'll go back inside and find a berth,” Red Alert blurted, giving in to his worries and the appalling state of his love life.

Sideswipe's optics brightened to a near white and his gaze ran excitedly over Red Alert's trembling frame. And he led him eagerly back into the Ark by the wrist.

-o-o-o-o-o-


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The trainwreck continues...

-o-o-o-o-o-

They came to the elevator that would take them up to the residence level but found it in use. Sideswipe, expecting a wait, pushed Red Alert up against the wall. Strong hands encircled his waist while a hungry mouth went for the cabling on his neck.

Red Alert did not fight, but instead dove headfirst into his memories of Silverline and those beautiful sensitive wings of his.

Sideswipe had easily gotten his hands up under his chestplate and his fingers were now tickling at his pectoral transformation cogs. “Red... You're so beautiful. So perfect...” His venting came hard against Red Alert's neck and waist. “I can't wait to have you.”

“Yes...” came the weak agreement.

Sideswipe's face lit gleefully, and then he mashed his lip components against Red Alert's, kissing him enthusiastically. Red Alert tried his best to kiss back, imagining the long gone flyer in Sideswipe's place, trying to let the memories fuel him into desire.

The elevator doors opened and Ironhide and Tracks emerged, and on seeing the two Lamborghinis making out against the wall they both snickered. “Get a room, you two,” Ironhide teased.

“Yes do,” Tracks drawled. “Spare us having to watch.”

Sideswipe broke the kiss and sneered at them. “You know you want to watch though.” With that he pulled his date into the elevator

“Ya know, they do make an attractive couple,” an embarrassed Red Alert heard Ironhide say just before the door closed.

When the elevator lurched, Sideswipe tumbled into Red Alert, the latter catching him, and the former resuming the position they'd been in just before the elevator had arrived. Red Alert felt himself a little more convinced now. The touch did feel nice, and perhaps he'd calm down once they were somewhere completely private. Sunstreaker did promise his brother the room they shared.

Sideswipe paused and looked into Red Alert's optics. “I'll try not to hurt you, or dent this pretty plating too much. I'm not sure I can hold back though. I guarantee you'll love every moment of it though.”

The forced desire Red Alert had been trying to build suddenly shattered. Wait. What did he mean by trying not to hurt or dent him? Was it going to be rough? Did most of his lovers spend the next day in the plating repair bay? Or worse, on one of the mediberths? How humiliating it would be to have to explain to Hoist why he was such a mess. As if the marred paint scuffs wouldn't tell enough of a story. And what if the frontliner did damage him? He knew that Sideswipe was much stronger and had thicker plating despite having the same alt-mode. That was part of being a warrior. But that he commonly expected to damage his lovers? Silverline had never done more than left an occasional scuff on his finish.

Horrified, he fought to keep down a new wave of panic. His mind changed back again, he tried to squirm away. But Sideswipe held him firmly against the wall. “Your plating's warming up,” he said throatily.

Yes it was. But it was in panic rather than passion. What Sideswipe mistook for arousal was the desire to get away.

The elevator lurched again as it came to a stop and Sideswipe fell this time, ending up on his knees. For a moment Red Alert saw a window of escape open. He could make a run for it when the door opened before the mech could get up again. He could get away before Sideswipe could embarrass him any more. Before he could ruin his paint. Before he could damage him.

His sensor horns sparking in anxiety, he began to plan an escape route for when the door opened onto the residential level.

But no such luck. Sideswipe was halfway to his feet when the elevator door opened, and while Red Alert might have been able to transform and make a quick getaway, three of the five Protectobots stood there talking, blocking the way, not even noticing that there were passengers inside.

Sideswipe grabbed Red Alert's arm and dragged him brusquely through the group and into one of the halls. Coming to his door, he placed his palm against the entry plate, his gaze turning back and giving his captive what he probably thought was a sexy look. To the recipient it just looked sadistic. “I've never bonded with anyone before. You'll be my first. And I don't care if I'm not your first sparkmate.”

Red Alert cringed. Not that again. Wouldn't Sideswipe be satisfied with just a quick drunken frag? He'd resigned himself to shutting off his optics and getting this over with. It would be for his own good to interface again. Or maybe not. He was waffling again.

The door did not open. “Hmmm?” Sideswipe put his hand again to the plate, pushing it flatter, but getting the same result.

He typed in his passcode, fumbling with the keys in his inebriation. The light at the bottom gave him a yellow flash for the failed attempt, at which he looked at Red Alert apologetically. “Sorry. It's kinda fussy sometimes.” He tried again and was given another flash of yellow. “Or maybe Sunny's playing tricks on me.”

A third failed attempt to enter. “Or maybe I'm too charged to hit the keys as well as too charged to drive,” he laughed at himself and began a fourth try. “Yes, soon. All our dreams will come true... Once I get this damnable door open.”

Red Alert prayed to Primus that Sideswipe wouldn't remember that his date had the clearance to open just about any door on the Ark. If they could just stay out here in the hall... Or perhaps there would be a distraction and he could slip away. If he couldn't, who knew where this would end up, and right now it was looking like he'd end up battered and bonded to the overeager warrior.

After the fifth unsuccessful try, Sideswipe's show of patience gave out and he banged on the door with his fist. “Sunny! Did you do this?! This ain't funny!”

The door slid open and Bluestreak stood there looking both annoyed and puzzled. “Yes, Sideswipe?”

The red mech looked equally annoyed and puzzled. “What are you doing here?” he demanded. “Sunny!? You said I could have the room alone tonight!” he called past Bluestreak and then shoved his way past him as he had the Protectobots, only this time he let go of Red Alert. And as he did, the door across the hall opened, Inferno leaning out to see what all the noise in the hallway was.

Red Alert saw his opening and dove past Inferno into the fire-truck mech's room, hoping that the terrified look on his face or at least his rank was enough of an explanation or justification for now as to why he was intruding.

Inferno turned back around to follow Red Alert, and as soon as he was clear of the door the latter quickly turned back, closed, and locked it. And then he typed in an additional security override to the lock. At this point, only Optimus, Jazz, Ratchet, Prowl, or himself were getting through that door.

“Red Alert? What's going on?” asked a concerned-looking but completely calm Inferno. “What was Sideswipe going on about out there?”

His horns still sparking heavily, Red Alert looked up at the much taller mech. “I'm just... I'm just hiding from my mistakes.”

“Your mistakes?” He cocked his head in curiosity. “Shouldn't you be out there dealing with them and moving on, instead of hiding from them? In my quarters?” Inferno moved away and sat down on one of the the chairs, still pondering why the trembling, sparking security officer had locked himself in his room and was now slumped against the door as if to barricade it.

“Not when my mistake is going to damage me in a drunken, thoughtless frag,” he whined and wrapped his arms around himself.

Inferno thought about what he'd seen in the hall—Sideswipe pounding on the door of Bluestreak's quarters and shouting for his brother, demanding to be let in, the red warrior holding tightly to Red Alert until Bluestreak opened and he went inside. And not too much earlier he'd seen the twins and Red Alert drinking in the rec-room together, an overcharged Sideswipe looking completely smitten with the head of security. “Let me guess. You were being friendly with Sideswipe, and he got overcharged and was trying to get you into his berth. Is that what happened?”

Red Alert was stunned at Inferno's detective work. “Y-yes... H-he asked me on a date, but he showed up overcharged to begin with, and it just kept getting worse. How did you know?”

Inferno crossed his arms over his chest and shook his head. “It's pretty obvious from what I saw. And he's got to be pretty slagged to mistake Bluestreak's door for his own. Though it's not the first time he's gotten the wrong hallway when coming back after getting overcharged. Grapple and I have walked him back to the right place a few times.”

Red Alert lifted his head. “Bluestreak's quarters? How could I have missed that?”

“I'm guessing you had other things on your mind.” He rose and went to the work counter on the opposite wall from the berth. “So what went wrong? I mean, most mechs are happy to take him or his brother up on their propositions.”

The red and white mech coughed. “I... I didn't want to. But then I thought I wanted to. But then I realized I didn't actually want to. ”

“Didn't want to?” Inferno looked over at his unexpected guest, shaking his head again. “And yet you let him bring you back this far? Almost to his quarters? Red, you shouldn't tease a mech like that. When you tell a 'bot you're gonna have his bolts, after that he's only got one thing running through his processors.” And then noting the distressed and embarrassed look on Red Alert's face he apologized. “I'm sorry. I'm being insensitive. You don't have to tell me about it. And I won't tell anyone you were hiding here.”

Red Alert's head fell forward. “Well, I originally didn't want to come here with him, and then I thought that I did want to because... well, for reasons... But then I got nervous because he started talking about denting my plating, and... and... spark bonding,” he confessed, his nervousness bubbling out in words. “He wanted to spark-bond with me, Inferno! Please. I just want to forget this night. Just let me stay here a little while and then we'll both pretend it never happened.”

The other mech chuckled despite himself. “Stay as long as you like.” He got his stash of high-grade out of the cupboard and opened the box.

The sound of arguing out in the corridor came through the door, and then they could clearly hear Sideswipe calling for his missing date. “Red!? Where are you?! We were going to bond, remember? You know... Sparkmates? Husband and wife?”

Inferno chuckled again. Red Alert had not been exaggerating about the bonding part. And then he shook his head as a completely unnerved Red Alert backed away from the door and moved as far away from it as he could without looking too conspicuously frightened. “Don't tell him I'm here, please.”

Inferno motioned for the shaking mech to sit in one of the chairs, and when he did Inferno placed a small draught of high-grade into his hand. It had been warmed, and a dross of something metallic floated on the top. With a thanks Red Alert drank it quickly as Inferno moved toward the door.

“Please don't let him know,” came the tremulous voice behind him.

Inferno smirked, not letting his unexpected guest see it though. For an officer in charge of security he certainly got ruffled easily.

“Redddddd! Where did you go? I love youuuuuuu!”

“I'm just going to comm' Bluestreak and have him get Sides' out of here, all right?” Inferno sounded calm and confident about the situation.

“Anything!”

Suddenly there came a loud pounding at the door and Red Alert leapt up from the chair. “Red! You in there? Where'd ya' go?”

The flare from Red Alert's sensor horns was blinding, and Inferno turned around in time to see an unconscious Red Alert hit the floor, thankfully falling against the padded chair before tumbling down onto the thick rug at the center of the room.

Inferno shook his head. “You're a real piece of work, Red.”

-o-o-o-o-o-


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Red Alert finds himself in another mech's berth, but not in the way Sideswipe had hoped.

-o-o-o-o-o-

Red Alert woke from recharge feeling pleasantly warm. A canvas blanket covered him completely and his head lay upon a wonderfully soft, extremely large pillow.

This wasn't his pillow. His was smaller and stiffer. Not nearly as luxurious.

And then remembered his last location.

Quietly he pulled off the blanket and found himself in the same large room, the lights dimmed to their lowest settings now. Inferno stretched across the rug in the center of the room in recharge, his head resting on an pillow identical to the one on the berth. A soft smile curved his lips as he slept, the red mech looking so calm and gentle.

He settled his head into the pillow again and stared at the ceiling. And then he smirked. He had ended up in another mech's berth. But not in the way Sideswipe would have had it. He linked into the security system and tracked his would-be bondmate. The mech was in his own berth, probably sleeping off the charge, and he hoped the frontliner would just let the incident pass without another mention.

Red Alert called up his files on Inferno, seeking out a bit more about him, finding a long but quiet service history to the Autobot cause, no trouble regarding his superiors, a noticeable streak of bravery, a love of battle, a femme bondmate serving under Elita-One, and a frame unusually tolerant of high temperatures.

He looked again at the sleeping Inferno, who then stirred. His optics switched on, the blue glow of his eyes lighting the rug beside his head.

And noticing another pair of optics staring back, Inferno called softly to his accidental overnight guest. “Feeling better now?”

“I think so,” came the response.

“Good. Bluestreak got Sideswipe back to his room, but I never heard Blue return after that. I think Sides' undying love turns on a dime. Though those two are swapping paint fairly regularly though, so nothing surprising there.”

Red Alert sighed. “Thank you for letting me hide here last night.”

“You were like a scared little kitten.”

The officer's optics flashed in irritation at being accused of such, but then calmed. Inferno was completely correct in that assessment. “I guess I was. I was dealing with some emotional stuff last night on top of Sides' inebriation.”

“Well if you ever need a friend to talk to or a cog to cry on, or just someone to watch your back, You can hide here anytime.”

“I could? You would help me like that?”

“For all your time behind the monitors, you don't know me very well, do you?” he chuckled. And then he rose and came to the berthside. His hand slipped under the blanket, found Red's arm, and squeezed it in camaraderie. “But there is a price...”

“A price?”

“You'll have to remove your locking code from the door. Grapple couldn't get in last night and had to recharge down in one of the workrooms. And I couldn't get out.”

“Oh goodness! I'm so sorry. You should have woken me.”

Inferno only smiled again. “You didn't wake when I put you into the berth so I figured you must have really needed the recharge.”

Red Alert, his hand still loosely in Inferno's, squeezed back. “Thank you, Inferno. I... I could use a friend... someone watching my back.” And then he looked again into the tall mech's optics.

Inferno's other hand joined the clasping. “I'll do my best.”

-o-o-o-o-o-  
-o-o-o-  
-o-

The End

-o-  
-o-o-o-  
-o-o-o-o-o-

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have to include this, as it was the inspiration for this story. It was inspired by a paragraph from a pen friend's letter to me a couple of years ago. Text is as follows:
> 
> "Last night my friend, Joanne, came to the restaurant on a date with a guy we went to high school with. But, when she picked him up, he was bombed already! It was horrible! He was trashed and almost passed out in his salad. He kept saying how pretty she was and how he loved her and wanted to marry her and was trying to like sit on her lap. When he was walking back from the bathroom, he had to hold on to the booths to stead himself! Oh, and his best pick up line of the night. He told her he wanted her to “ride his cock”. Charming. After she dropped him off, she said she was so traumatized, she had to stop at another bar for another drink! Ha ha – I don't blame her! What a wacko! My sister can't wait to text her and ask her about her hot date. LMAO! Thank God the restaurant wasn't busy and we all sort of know each other and him and knew what was going on. I would've made him walk home personally – after I clocked him in the eye. I can't imagine why he's single – I mean, what a catch! LOL!"


End file.
